Do these first
- Close the page and do not type anything more into it. If a file or app started to download, do not open it.
- If you typed a password, OTP, UPI PIN or card number, treat that item as stolen now: call your bank on the number printed on your card or in its official app and ask them to block the card or UPI access.
- Change the password of the account you typed, and of any other account that uses the same password. Use a new password on each.
- Turn on two-step verification (an authenticator app or the app's own setting) for your email, bank, UPI and social accounts.
Then do these
- Open Settings, Apps and look for anything you do not recognise or did not install. Remove it. Look at Accessibility and Device admin apps too.
- Run a phone scan in Safeavio Sentinel (or any trusted scanner) to review installed apps, permissions and risky settings.
- Look at your bank and UPI history for payments you did not make. Note the time and amount.
- Tell family or colleagues who may get the same link from your contacts.
What not to do
- Do not "pay to unlock" or call a number shown on the page.
- Do not reuse the same password on the next account.
- Do not share an OTP with anyone who calls afterwards to "help".
Where to report
If money was taken, call 1930 at once and report at cybercrime.gov.in. For a suspicious SMS or WhatsApp number, use the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).
How Safeavio Sentinel can help
- Link check: paste a link before you open the next one and read the reasons for the verdict.
- Phone scan: lists apps, permissions and risky settings so you can see what changed.
- Alerts and the portal show what your phone reported, so you do not have to guess.
Questions people ask
Can a scam link hack my phone just by opening it?
Usually the danger is what you do next: typing a password or OTP, installing an app or giving a permission. Close the page and check what you entered or installed.
Should I factory reset after clicking a link?
Only if you installed an unknown app you cannot remove or the phone behaves strangely. For most cases, changing passwords and removing unknown apps is enough.
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Use only the number printed on your card, passbook or the official app of your bank or company.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidHow to get startedWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
More: all recovery steps · safety guides · Safeavio compared with a traditional antivirus